1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a record holder and scheduler and, in particular, to a holder and scheduler which may be utilized in the medical profession to secure medical records and indicate time and/or status of a patient's visit.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical professionals need to have access to a patient's medical records during office visits and hospital stays. Numerous record and chart holders have been employed for securing the patient's records so that they are available to the physician or other professional during such visits and stays. Typically, the patient's file is clipped to a chart holder which may be attached to a patient's bed or a wall in the room in which the patient is staying or being examined. Examples of such prior art chart holders are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. DES390271, 3,397,434, 2,731,941 and 3,304,907. Other file holders have also been employed for other purposes such as those in U.S. Patent Nos. DES391990 and 6,092,672.
Maintaining proper schedule of treatment of the patient during an office visit or hospital stay is desirable both to the patient and medical profession. Examples of indicators for signaling to medical personnel treatment to be undergone by patient and/or time of a particular procedure are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,041,893, and 4,582,018.
Notwithstanding these prior art devices, there is no currently adequate system for providing to the medical professional both the patient's records and the indicated status of a patient's visit or treatment, as well as the time for such a treatment. Furthermore, there exists no adequate combination of such functions which may be easily and visibly positioned in association with the patient's visit or stay, and yet is accessible to the medical professional for viewing of the patient's records and resetting of times and patient status.